In cybersecurity, there is often a temptation to frame technology decisions as a simple choice: build or partner.

For managed detection and response (MDR), we think there is a better question.

What combination of technology, expertise and service will deliver the best outcome for the customer?

That thinking is behind Kudelski Security's expanded work with CrowdStrike’s Falcon® Complete for Service Providers.

We continue to invest in our own security expertise, technology and innovation. At the same time, we believe there is real value in combining those strengths with CrowdStrike's proven MDR capabilities.

It is not about choosing between building and partnering. It is about bringing together the right capabilities in the right way.

And ultimately, making MDR stronger and simpler for the customer.

Modern MDR Has to Keep Pace With a More Complex Threat Environment

There is a good reason to keep challenging how MDR is delivered.

Cyberattacks are not only increasing in number. Their impact can spread quickly from IT systems into everyday business operations.

In 2025, the Associated Press reported on a series of attacks against major retailers that disrupted online ordering, supply chains and in-store availability. Marks & Spencer, Co-op and other organizations experienced disruption that was visible not only to security teams, but to customers. AP described cyber risk as a business risk that organizations need to prepare for accordingly.

The cyberattack on Marks & Spencer is a useful reminder of just how difficult this environment can be. The retailer's online store was unavailable for almost seven weeks, and the company estimated the incident could reduce profits by around £300 million. M&S had already been investing significantly in modernizing its technology before the attack and subsequently accelerated that work further.

The lesson is not that investment does not work.

It is that cyber resilience depends on many things working together: technology, detection, response, expertise, preparation and the ability to act quickly when something changes.

That same principle should shape the MDR operating model.

Build or Partner? For MDR, It Can Be Both

Kudelski Security has a strong engineering heritage, and we continue to invest in the capabilities that differentiate our MDR services.

That includes detection engineering, threat intelligence, proactive threat hunting, our Client Portal and Threat Navigator, and KLARA™, our agentic AI ecosystem.

But innovation does not mean a provider has to recreate every capability itself.

Sometimes the smarter approach is to combine what you do particularly well with the strengths of a trusted technology partner.

That allows each organization to focus its expertise where it creates the most value.

For the customer, the question is not who built every component behind the service. What matters is whether those components work together effectively.

Can threats be detected and investigated around the clock? Can action be taken quickly? Is the environment configured correctly? Does someone understand the customer's priorities? Is there clear accountability when something happens?

A strong MDR service needs to bring all of that together.

Why CrowdStrike Falcon Complete Fits the Kudelski Security MDR Strategy

This is where CrowdStrike Falcon Complete for Service Providers becomes a natural fit.

CrowdStrike designed the offering to enable partners to build and scale their own MDR services using Falcon Complete's technology and expertise while retaining ownership of the customer relationship.

Its service model combines 24/7 protection with AI, automation, human oversight and expert-led response. Falcon Complete for Service Providers is specifically designed to be bundled with the partner's own services, creating an MDR proposition that brings complementary capabilities together.

That model aligns well with how we want to serve our customers.

CrowdStrike provides powerful 24/7 investigation and full-cycle remediation capabilities across endpoints, identities and cloud workloads.

Kudelski Security builds the broader managed service around them.

The result is not simply technology being passed from one company to another. It is an MDR service designed around the customer's needs.

What Kudelski Security Adds to the MDR Service

For us, the customer relationship starts well before the first detection.

It begins with onboarding and tuning the environment correctly. It continues through regular service management, proactive threat hunting and helping customers understand how their security posture is evolving.

Customers have a named Delivery Manager to help coordinate that experience.

They also gain access to Kudelski Security capabilities including KLARA™, our agentic AI ecosystem, our Client Portal and Threat Navigator, continuous credential leak monitoring and expertise from our Counter Adversary Unit.

Incident response support is built into the service too.

Together, those capabilities create something important: context.

Strong detection and response provide the insight and action needed when threats emerge. Kudelski Security adds another layer of context, helping connect that activity to the organization, its priorities and the wider security environment.

That is where a close MDR relationship creates additional value.

Partnership Helps Us Focus on What Customers Actually Need

The CrowdStrike relationship also supports another important principle: MDR should not become more complicated simply because the technology behind it is sophisticated.

Customers should not have to spend their time coordinating a collection of disconnected technologies and providers.

They should have a clear service, clear responsibilities and a clear route to the expertise they need.

That is why we see partnership as a strength.

CrowdStrike brings significant technology, threat intelligence and MDR expertise. Kudelski Security brings its own security capabilities, customer knowledge and service experience.

By combining them, we can focus less on duplicating capabilities and more on the outcome we are trying to achieve together.

Better detection. Faster response. Greater context. And a service that is easier for customers to consume.

The MDR Model Should Be Able to Grow With the Customer

There is another reason flexibility matters.

Security requirements do not stand still.

An organization might begin with a need for strong endpoint, identity and cloud detection and response. As its environment grows, it may want wider visibility, additional data sources, custom detections, new workflows or deeper security support.

The MDR model needs to accommodate that.

Kudelski Security customers can extend the core service with capabilities including CrowdStrike Falcon® Next-Gen SIEM and additional expert services.

That creates a path to add greater visibility, customization and support as requirements evolve.

The aim is not to force every customer into the most complex service from day one.

It is to start with what the organization needs and create room to grow.

Partnership Is Part of Modern Cybersecurity Innovation

There is a broader point here.

Cybersecurity innovation is often associated with inventing a new platform, product or AI capability.

Those things matter.

But innovation can also happen in the way services are put together.

It means looking objectively at where your expertise creates the greatest value, where a partner can make the overall service stronger and how those capabilities can be combined without adding complexity for the customer.

CrowdStrike's approach to Falcon Complete for Service Providers reflects that idea. The model is specifically designed to let partners combine CrowdStrike's MDR capabilities with their own services and customer relationships.

For Kudelski Security, that makes the relationship a natural extension of our MDR strategy.

We continue to invest in what makes Kudelski Security different. At the same time, we can draw on CrowdStrike's strengths where they add value for our customers.

Build or partner does not have to be an either/or decision.

The better question is: What combination will deliver the best security outcome?

Find the Right MDR Model for Your Organization

Every organization has a different security environment, risk profile and level of internal resource.

That means there is no single MDR model that will be right for everyone.

What matters is finding the right balance of technology, expertise and support for your organization, then making those elements work together as one coordinated service.

That is what Kudelski Security is building with CrowdStrike.

If you're reviewing your MDR strategy or want to understand how CrowdStrike Falcon Complete can work as part of a broader managed security service, contact Kudelski Security or visit our dedicated MDR with CrowdStrike Falcon complete page.

We can help you explore an MDR approach built around your environment, your priorities and where you want your security program to go next.

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